Come to the Common Hour Jan. 30 and discover the answers to these (and many other) questions:

Is it better to pay on a student loan while it is in deferment?

Should I close that credit card I’m not using?

How can I boost my credit score and qualify for a good interest rate?

Al Bingham advises state legislators from around the country about consumer protection and finances. He has also provided commentary for news outlets from Boston to Los Angeles. Common Hour organizers invite everyone to see Bingham can do for them.

The presentation is Jan. 30 at 11:30 a.m. in the Taggart Student Center Ballroom. A book signing follows.

Bingham’s visit is sponsored by the Family, Consumer and Human Development Department, the Family Finance Club and Financial Planning for Women.

About Al Bingham

Bingham has worked on several projects to help consumers improve their credit scores. In 2011, he released his second publication of The Road to 850 which is a complete outline of the FICO® scoring system. To help educators, he recently produced a curriculum titled Understanding Your Credit Report that is utilized in many high schools and colleges. His most recent program is a project with Fair Credit Foundation called MyCreditPlan.org. The advanced program is specifically designed to help credit counselors and consumers alike create specific interactive, personal plans of action to help all improve their FICO® credit scores.

Bingham has worked more than 21 years in the mortgage industry. He is currently employed at Republic Mortgage as a senior mortgage loan officer. He is an advisor to the American Legislation Exchange Council (ALEC) — a national association of state legislators. He has recently been recognized for his work with John Arterberry, deputy chief of the fraud section at the U.S. Justice Department, for identifying the early warning signs of the housing crisis as early as 2002.

He was the primary author of model legislation in 2003 which provided greater regulation for mortgage companies and their loan officers. More than two-dozen states enacted this model legislation. In 2008, Congress used a portion of the model legislation in creating the SAFE Mortgage Act. He also serves on the national SAFE Mortgage exam writing committee which writes and reviews the national mortgage licensing exam.

In addition, he led the research that produced The Drive to 850, following an intense five-year study on the FICO® credit scores by a handful of experienced professionals within the credit industry. Its findings have been recognized nationwide for its valuable insight into the FICO® credit score. He has provided commentary on credit and credit scores in more than 50 news stories on many local CBS and ABC stations from Boston to Los Angeles.

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